Some tips for effective video marketing

With the creation of the internet and the plethora of software and communication mediums it has given birth to, marketing strategies have seen a major overhaul in the last two decades. One of the most effective marketing strategies to emerge is the explanation video. The video format has proven to be a powerhouse of modern marketing mainly thanks to its ability to combine all the best parts of more traditional marketing into one format. So; you can combine the benefits of scripted narrative with easy-to-follow visuals and enticing music. If the video format is not among the vanguard of your marketing strategies already then you really need to give it a second look.

Why is video format is so effective? Because Einstein, yeah?!

It has been a common and ill-conceived assumption in marketing that the more complex you make the explanation, the more impressive your product will come across. So for almost a hundred years we have seen long marketing copy filled with big words and impressive sounding jargon. It’s questionable whether this strategy was ever really as effective as it was billed. What is clear however is that, even if it was at one time, then the times, they are a changing. Modern audiences are far more capable of spotting a slick and sleazy salesman when they see one. That is why simple and authentic explanations are proving far more effective at driving interest and raise buying temperature.

So, where does Einstein fit in here exactly?

Einstein once said ‘If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.’ The best explainer video is one that summaries all the key features of the product in a way that is easy to consume and easy to retain. Einstein’s principle of explanation relates to the effectiveness of succinct explanation videos in two ways. The first is that, naturally, successfully explaining the complexities of your product to an audience in a simple way will mean that more people will get a chance to understand how its benefits might pertain to them. But secondly, and perhaps more importantly, by offering a complete yet simple and down-to-earth explanation in a format they are familiar with, you are creating a kind of trust with your prospective clients. Your are expressing a desire to explain the benefits in an honest way rather than selling them on features they don’t need. This will allow you to ease up on the hard sell and let the customer sell themselves on the product. In the modern climate of pervasive advertising, this is a great way to get yourself to stand out from the white noise.

Some tips for effective video marketing

Keep it key

Your product likely has a bunch of great features and benefits. But there are probably only about 3 or 4 that would be vital to anyone’s understanding of what you offer. Focus on these and it’ll help you keep your video on point. Try to imagine explaining your product to someone. Which features are so important that if you didn’t mention them, no-one would have a clue what you are actually doing?

Add a little personality

Simplicity is great but you don’t want to pare it down so much that you remove any sense of what your company is like. Ultimately, there are likely to more than one product out there similar to yours. In the end, customers are going to be taking a kind of leap of faith by trusting in the quality of yours above others. Letting a little of the ethos of your company leak into the video will help reassure them about making this leap.

Keep the language as simple as possible

No-one knows your product as well as you do. This can be easy to forget sometimes. A lot of what you might consider basic will be completely new to many potential customers. Try to imagine explaining your product to a child and you should be able to side-step too many bad assumptions here.